Was sold a stolen iPhone?

If you get an iPhone from a seller and it's flagged with an Activation lock (e.g. stolen iPhones), try contacting them first to see if they are willing to take steps to unlock the device. If you can't reach the owner or they aren't willing to help, you do have some options.

Can a stolen iPhone still be used?

What that means is even when a thief or a third-party has your ‌iPhone‌, it's still tied to your ‌Apple ID‌ and can't be used with any other account. Your ‌iPhone‌ can even be wiped completely and it will still be locked down, making it almost useless to anyone but you.

Can I unlock an iPhone that was reported stolen?

Once your device is off the blacklist, you can either use it or sell it. Unfortunately, if the previous owner blacklisted the device by reporting it as lost or stolen, then the carrier will be unable to remove or unlock the blacklisted phone.

What happens if you unknowingly buy a stolen phone?

Another danger of purchasing a stolen device unknowingly is that it might be cloned. Depending on the cloning process, the person that has cloned your device can do anything ranging from accessing the data you enter on your new 'used' phone to using another device and billing the usage to your carrier account.

Is it illegal to buy stolen iPhone?

Yes, if the phone is stolen and you are caught with it, you would be in possession of stolen property. Receiving stolen property is a crime, whether it's a phone, a TV, a car, etc. Yes.

What happens when the phone you bought was stolen?

Can a phone be blacklisted after purchase?

But if you buy a used phone, and it's later reported as stolen, it'll be blacklisted.” When a carrier blacklists a device — which can happen if the device is reported as lost or stolen, or if someone sells it while it's still on a payment plan — it can't be activated on any carrier.

Can a stolen iPhone be reset?

If your iPhone has been stolen, the first thing you need to do is reset it. Doing so will erase all the data on the device and the person with access to your phone will have nothing to see on your device. You can use the iCloud's web-based app to access your iPhone remotely and then wipe it off.

What do thieves do with stolen phones?

Some thieves will use the information they find on phones (such as photos, texts or emails), then use it to hold the original owner to ransom. The best thing to do is to remotely wipe your phone as soon as you find out it's stolen – this can be achieved with apps such as Find My Device (free – Android and iOS).

What happens if I put my SIM card in a blacklisted phone?

If a phone is listed on the blacklist, wireless carriers will not allow the phone to connect to the cellular network even if using a valid SIM card. Devices are listed by their unique IMEI Number. Many countries have a similar Blacklist, and these are shared on an international database administered by the GSMA.

How do I activate a stolen iPhone?

Can I put my SIM card in a stolen iPhone?

If you have inserted a clean simcard on a device that is reported stolen the simcard will work for sometime but when the system detected that the simcard is being used on a stolen phone, the simcard will be suspended. When you transferred the simcard to the original phone the simcard will not work.

Can I unlock an iPhone I found?

YES. You can unlock it if you found a lost iPhone. The thing that put you in trouble is the iPhone's screen passcode as these days iPhone users set a screen passcode to protect the data stored in their device.

How long do iphones stay blacklisted?

Phones used in fraudulent activity may be blacklisted up to 120 days after the event as this activity may take longer to detect.

Can someone unlock my stolen phone?

A thief won't be able to unlock your phone without your passcode. Even if you normally sign in with Touch ID or Face ID, your phone is also secured with a passcode.

How long does it take to get a phone off the blacklist?

Can You Clean a Blacklisted Phone? You have to call your carrier and ask them to remove your phone from the blacklist. They'll do so after you prove ownership. The process should take 3 days, but may vary depending on the carrier.

Will the police do anything about a stolen iPhone?

Police simply don't consider a find my iPhone hit just cause to go to someone's home, and no court will issue a warrant based on just that anyway, so they'd not be able to go in or do anything.

How much does a stolen phone sell for?

So what do the thieves do with the stolen phones? "If you take it to a re-sale shop, you can sell it anywhere from $100 for an older version up to the latest iPhone X are getting about $300," said Eugene Roy, retired Chicago Police Department Chief of Detectives.

Why do thieves steal iPhones?

In the past when iPhones first came out, it wasn't uncommon to hear about people stealing them. This is because of the value iPhones hold where the thieves could usually resell them for a decent amount of money.

How do thieves sell stolen iPhones?

That's where the stolen iPhones go. Thieves who realize that they can't use the stolen iPhone will break the device into several parts and sell them to shady repair shops or stores for money. These types of stores need several parts of the iPhone, like the screen to fix someone else broken iPhone at a cheap rate.

Can an iPhone be tracked after factory reset?

iOS 15: Find My network can still find your iPhone when it is powered off, or factory reset. With iOS 15, your iPhone is still traceable through the Find My network even when the device is powered off.

How do you check if a iPhone is blacklisted?

Can a blacklisted iPhone be tracked?

Once it's reported stolen by you, the IMEI number is blacklisted across the country. If an IMEI device on the black list is used to make a call, the police will get to know about it immediately. There is a chance that they will track the phone if it comes up for resale or reset.

Does Apple accept blacklisted phones?

Answer: A: Answer: A: If this phone was blacklisted ... it doesn't matter when, then you may be in possession of a stolen device. As such, Apple will have nothing to do with it and it should be turned into your local law enforcement agency ... or, at least, return it to the seller for a full refund.